


let all of the love back in

by manesalex



Series: Resentment [7]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex Manes Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Disabled Character, Family Fluff, Fix-It, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Minor Kyle Valenti/Isabel Evans, Minor Max Evans/Liz Ortecho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24456631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manesalex/pseuds/manesalex
Summary: The gang helps Michael and Alex furnish and decorate their new home.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: Resentment [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712398
Comments: 9
Kudos: 114





	let all of the love back in

“Who’d have thought _Michael_ would settle down so fast?” Isobel teases as she barges into Michael and Alex’s new home, Max, Liz, and Kyle all close behind, carrying boxes.

The place Michael and Alex found is perfect for them. Single level had been a requirement because there’s no way Michael would want Alex to have to navigate stairs without his prosthetic, especially on a bad day, even if Alex had insisted they wouldn’t be a problem. The kitchen, living room, and dining room are all open, one flowing neatly into the next. He has plans to fix up the bathroom a bit, install a tub that will be deep enough for the both of them. But the bedroom is perfect and they even have other, smaller guest rooms, one of which he’s planning on converting into a studio for Alex. And the garage is large enough for him to keep any projects he wants from his bunker there.

Michael is just finishing cooking breakfast and about to bring it to Alex, who is still in their bed. “Don’t you ever knock?” he asks Isobel, burying his fondness under the annoyance.

“Oh, please,” she replies quickly, grabbing the cup of coffee he’d made for Alex from his hand and taking a sip. “I’m charming.” She hands it back to him like she hadn’t done anything and rests her palms on the counter, “I’m just surprised you’re clothed.” She looks him up and down, taking in the boxers. “Ish.”

“And what made you decide to come all the way here on a Saturday morning?” Michael asks. Less than twelve hours in their new home and Isobel is already invading. He shouldn’t be surprised. In fact, he may be a bit relieved that his siblings won’t let the distance between Roswell and Albuquerque deter them, even if he had hoped for a bit more alone time with Alex.

“Someone has to decorate your place,” she replies simply. “I’ve seen your Airstream and I remember the way Alex dressed in high school. You need me. Where is my future brother-in-law, by the way?”

“I think you’re skipping a few steps there,” Alex saves him from answering, walking out of the bedroom in a pair of jeans and a sweater, looking completely put together, in spite of the early hour. His hair is far too neat and Michael just wants to get his hands in it.

“It’ll happen,” Isobel grins, bouncing over to Alex to hug him.

Michael would object to the fact that she’s so much kinder to Alex than she is to him, but, really, he understands. And he’s glad to see her accepting him so easily. Alex deserves to be loved and he’s so relieved to see it.

“A little help, Isobel?” Max says, looking annoyed as he and Kyle carry a couch into the house.

“Isobel, that’s very kind of you, but we don’t-” Alex starts.

“It’s nothing,” Isobel dismisses his concerns. “Some of the stuff is from your old house, but some of it clearly needed updating.”

“At least let me help,” Alex starts toward the door, but Michael scrambles to cut him off, shoving the plate he was about to bring him in his hands.

“Breakfast,” he leans in to press a gentle kiss to Alex’s lips. “Then meds. And then help.” He knows that, if he doesn’t insist, Alex will probably try to take his pills on an empty stomach. So he waits until Alex takes his plate to the kitchen counter, as they don’t yet have a table and chairs, and starts to eat. And then he heads outside to get to work.

“You really shouldn’t have, Isobel,” Michael says when he catches her outside, directing everyone else. “We can’t exactly repay-”

“Just let me be your sister, Michael. For once. And, if you can’t accept it for yourself, accept it for Alex. He deserves a nice, comfortable home, doesn’t he?”

She’s playing dirty and they both know it, but she’s not wrong. He just wishes he could give it to Alex himself, without his sister’s help.

“Look, you can pay me back for the new stuff by fixing my car for free for life,” she teases. As if he’s ever been able to charge her for work he did on her car. “We take care of each other. That’s what family does. And I know you two would insist you’re fine with whatever crappy, mismatched furniture you can find, but I’m going to have to look at it when I visit. And you know Kyle will insist on us visiting all the time.”

He knows that’s true, but also that Isobel is just using it as an excuse. She would visit with or without Kyle, but it helps that her boyfriend is so close with his. “Things are going well there?” he asks for confirmation.

“I think I love him,” she admits softly. As if they didn’t all know it already. “And that’s… Scary. After Noah. But he’s… There’s no pressure there. He’s kind and understanding. And his body is perfect. Have you seen that man’s abs?”

“Don’t make me think about Valenti’s abs,” Michael groans.

“He’s a sexy man, Michael.”

“Who’s a sexy man?” Kyle asks, catching the tail end of their conversation.

“Alex,” Michael answers quickly.

“You’re not wrong,” Kyle replies with a grin, reaching for another box. “When he slips into that ‘Captain Manes’ tone…”

Michael almost drops the box he’s just grabbed, but Isobel looks delighted.

“What? I’m just acknowledging that my best friend is hot,” Kyle shrugs, turning around and heading back toward the house.

Michael sputters but follows him quickly, surprised to find that Max and Liz are bickering over the contents of one of the boxes.

“I’m a biomedical engineer, Max. I think that makes me more than qualified to set these up,” Liz comments 

“But you deal in internal, not external, devices,” Max argues.

Michael is about to offer his expertise as an actual mechanical engineer, when he sees what’s in the box. His eyes instantly flicker to the kitchen where Alex stands, silent in spite of the fact that they’re clearly arguing over bars very similar to the ones Michael had planned on eventually installing all over the house so Alex could navigate it easily even on his worst pain days.

On the surface, Alex looks perfectly calm. But Michael knows him too well, knows that closed off look anywhere, so he quickly sets down the box he had been carrying and makes his way to the kitchen, grabbing Alex’s arm and guiding him toward the bedroom.

If asked, he’ll say Alex is getting his meds and he’s going to finally put on more clothes than his boxers. And that’ll be true, but, mostly, he knows he needs to get Alex away from the group so they can talk about whatever is upsetting him. If need be, Michael will find a way to get all their friends to leave. But he needs to know what Alex needs first.

Michael closes the door behind them, handing Alex his pill tray and a glass of water before digging a pair of jeans out of a box by the bed. He still has to put all his clothes away. He’s sliding them on when he asks, “You wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“I understand Isobel surprising you with furniture. I know she’s-” Michael can see Alex searching for words. “That’s part of who she is. Kyle is always telling me about how she’s renovating his apartment and we both know it won’t be long before he moves in with her.”

“But?” Michael asks.

“But I- I know there’s no catch, but I don’t-” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t know why they did _that_.”

“Is it a bad thing?” Michael asks.

“No. It’s- I don’t-” He looks frustrated, like he can’t find a way to explain it.

“Your dad really is a piece of shit,” Michael realizes. It’s not like he hadn’t known Jesse Manes was a monster, that he hunted aliens, that he wasn’t a good father for Alex. But, until now, he doesn’t think he realized how Alex had grown up with less of a family than he had in some ways.

Alex nods, but he still looks puzzled.

“That’s the kind of shit we do for our family, right? You made sure Liz had everything she needed to bring Max back, even though you barely knew him.” He can see Alex about to object, but he continues. “You found all that shit about my mom, even though I treated you like crap.”

“You didn’t-”

“I did. And even after you left Roswell, you still took care of everything from afar. All of us were safe. Because of you.”

“I don’t understand how that’s-”

“Isobel said that family takes care of each other. You’ve done that for all of them. They’re your family.” He wants to ask if it’s so hard for Alex to believe that he’s their family too, but he _knows_ it is. He knows how Alex struggles to accept love, to accept that he’s deserving of it, even as he gives it without even thinking. “They’re just doing exactly what you’d do for them if the positions were reversed.”

The disbelieving look on Alex’s face makes Michael’s heart ache.

“Just say the word and I’ll tell them all to go home. If you don’t want those bars installed because you don’t think they’ll be helpful, not because you don’t need them,” Michael anticipates that objection, “But because you think they won’t help at all, I’ll tell them to return them. But if this is about the other thing, can you let them do it? For me? Because it makes me happy to see my family caring about you and accepting you as family?” He knows that, just like Isobel, he’s playing dirty.

Alex nods and takes his pills, heading toward the door. He only stops when Michael reaches out and grabs his hand, pulling Alex into his arms.

“I love you,” he breathes against Alex’s ear, relaxing as Alex’s arms wrap around him.

“I love you,” Alex whispers back 

“I’m gonna go make sure Max doesn’t break anything,” Michael jokes when he pulls away and heads toward the door.

He hopes Alex will learn to accept that Michael’s family is also his family soon but, either way, Michael is determined to do what he can to make sure Alex accepts the love Michael knows he deserves.


End file.
